


The End of a Long Wait

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Caring For a Pregnant Partner, Fluff, M/M, Married Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth, Protective Stannis Baratheon, pregnant Davos Seaworth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: With their child due in days, Davos will not leave work undone, with Stannis' help.
Relationships: Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34
Collections: Unusual_Bearings_2020





	The End of a Long Wait

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).



"You do not have to go. In fact, as your husband, I urge you not to go." 

Davos did not pause in wrapping his cloak about his shoulders. "I thought we agreed when we wed that you would not be that kind of husband. Not that I ever believed you would be. You haven't it in you." In truth, it was Stannis' cloak, for Davos' own cloak no longer fit. 

"I know." Stannis turned away from the mirror, running a hand over his hair, making it stand up in the back. 

Davos fastened his cloak with the onion cloak pin he had had made when Stannis had knighted him. He was still proud of it, though he now had finer things, and Stannis' cloak was more than large enough to accommodate his belly. He pulled on his gloves and headed for the door, not even waiting for Stannis, who had to put his own cloak on as they walked. 

"It's raining." 

"That is why I asked for the use of your spare oilskin." 

"I am master of ships. It ought to be me."

"You will be there. And I know you would never let a ship go to your brother's fleet without my inspecting it, too." 

Stannis sighed. That hand ran over his hair again, this time flattening it forward, over where it was receding. "I know." 

"Then we are in agreement."

Stannis didn't seem to agree, but he had the sense to say nothing. 

Davos almost regretted leaving the warmth of their apartments when they stepped out of the Maidenvault and were met with a gust of wind that brought with it near-horizontal rain. 

Stannis reached over and pulled Davos' hood up.

"Thank you." 

"Over here, boy," Stannis barked. Davos followed his gaze. A carriage pulled by two very wet-looking horses sat a few feet away. The driver roused and urged the horses forward.

"Stannis," Davos admonished. "Be nice." 

Stannis looked very put-upon but when the carriage pulled up in front of them, he gave the boy an audible "thank you" and added, "I will hand Lord Davos in." 

Davos might have objected that he did not need to be handed in, but he allowed it because Stannis had not made the poor lad climb down from his seat. He reached for Stannis' hand and stepped into the carriage. He was at least about to appreciate Stannis' firm hand on his back even if it was not strictly necessary. 

_And it does make him feel better_ , he reasoned, as Stannis shut the door and dropped into the seat opposite.

"We shan't be long," Stannis said. 

"Of course not." Davos smiled. It was pleasant to ride in a carriage with Stannis, though the trip down Aegon's Hill was rather bumpy. 

"Are you comfortable?" Stannis asked. 

"Yes, Stannis, I'm fine." 

Stannis nodded and settled back in his seat, but he never took his eyes off Davos. 

Davos did not truly mind. All of Stannis' solicitousness might have felt stifling had it not been so earnest. From the moment Davos had haltingly told Stannis he was pregnant, he had been wholly dedicated to Davos' comfort. In hindsight, he ought not to be so surprised; when a task was set before him, Stannis always tackled it with the utmost concentration. 

He smiled at his husband, earning in return the crooked smile he had come to treasure more than any of the jewels Stannis was always insisting he had a right to adorn himself with. Upon announcing his pregnancy, he had merely expected to inform Stannis he would be a father; he had not expected a proposal of marriage, though he had known Stannis would have been reluctant to sire a bastard. 

It had not been _just_ that, as had been quickly demonstrated by Stannis' argument with his brother that he would marry Davos with or without his blessing. Stannis had been making arrangements to elope to Lys when Robert had acceded, and they'd been wed two weeks later, when Davos was barely showing. 

"The rain seems to have stopped," Stannis said. He was looking out the window and Davos could not stop staring at his neck... His neck of all things. Davos closed his eyes. He was here to work, not to lust after his husband. This close to when the baby was to come, he had found himself obsessed with such things, and Stannis had been quite tolerant. 

But he would perhaps not tolerate Davos wanting to fuck in the carriage. 

Thankfully, they reached the docks before he was tempted any further. He accepted Stannis' help down.

"The baby's awoken," he said. Stannis stared at Davos' belly as if he almost didn't believe it. "He or she is kicking again. It won't be long now." 

Stannis frowned. "Are you certain we should be down here, then?" He offered his arm, and Davos took it, even though he didn't need it. He could step around the puddles and the muck perfectly well on his own, though he was holding Stannis' cloak in his free hand to keep it from landing in anything unpleasant. While pregnancy had increased his girth, it had done nothing to increase his height. 

Indeed, he was doing little more than waddling as they made their way through the gate and onto the docks proper. 

From that moment, Davos was barely conscious of his pregnancy. He was set only on inspecting the new fleet for the master of ships, and that required examining everything—the quality of the wood, the heft of the rope, the strength of the sails. After inspecting everything on deck, he squeezed through the hatch, Stannis following closely. 

"I don't think I can get in too much trouble down here," he said. 

"No," Stannis allowed. But he made no move to distance himself. 

"Good caulking," Davos said, stooping gingerly, running his right hand over the joints. "The shipbuilder did good work." 

"I shall be sure to tell Robert." Stannis helped Davos up without even needing to be asked. Davos was glad of it, for stooping had made him even more unbalanced, and he certainly did not want to fall over in his state. The next time he stooped, he held fast to Stannis' leg. 

"This will not hold," he said, turning to the clerk who had followed them, who was taking copious notes. "It must be reinforced."

"Yes, my lord." 

By the time Davos had squeezed through the hatch again and hauled himself topside, it was raining again. 

"We should go back," Stannis said hastily. 

"Absolutely not. By the time I am out of confinement, these ships will be doing the king's business and I do not wish to hear that one was sunk because I did not finish seeing them." 

They plodded their damp way through each ship, Davos ignoring Stannis' growing irritation. 

"This is the last one," he said, hoping that this would be calming to his husband. 

This ship had slightly more problems that needed communicating to the young clerk, and he was writing furiously as they toured every inch of the ship, Stannis reduced to silently stewing chaperone. 

"I must get up there," Davos said. 

"Up where?" Stannis asked. 

Where else could he have been talking about? "Up there." Davos pointed up the mast. "Not all the way up," he added, trying to be reassuring. "I just want to make sure it's strong." 

"Certainly not," Stannis said sternly, in a tone that made Davos bristle. He unpinned his cloak, folded it carefully, and handed it to the clerk. 

"If this mast comes down in a storm, I will consider it my fault." Without waiting for a further response from Stannis, he seized the rigging and planted one foot and then the other in the netting. It was slow going, but he managed to inch his way up. 

"Be careful!" he thought he heard Stannis say, but it was lost to the wind. Davos looked up and got a face full of rain. He _would_ be careful. He had never declared his intentions not to be. 

He took as long as he needed, though he could hear Stannis' agitation which he wished he would not take out on the clerk. At last, he called, "I'm coming down." 

He allowed himself one glance downward, though it was awkward to shift his weight even as the baby kicked wildly. _Any child of mine and Stannis' will surely be at home in the sea air._

Stannis was waiting at the bottom, steadying the ropes as Davos climbed down. Going down was essentially the reverse of going up; he had to be careful of his feet for he could not see around his belly. He was nearly at the level of Stannis' hands when his foot slipped and he lost his grip. He came down hard, knocking into Stannis and landing on the deck on his backside. 

"Stannis, I'm sorry! Are you all—" he began before he was interrupted by Stannis' arms encircling him. 

"Do _not_ tell me you are asking if _I'm_ all right." 

Davos was finding it quite hard to breathe. Stannis' arms were secure around him and his cheek was pressed against Davos'. "Well, I did fall on you, and I'm substantially heavier than usual." 

"Are you all right?" 

"Perfectly. Are you?" 

"Fine." Stannis stood, swinging Davos into his arms.

"Stannis, I really don't think—"

"You are not that big, even… in your current state. It is no trouble at all." He looked away, ears burning. One thing Davos had learned quickly about Stannis' lot was that pregnancy was a private matter; he had never heard his husband even utter the word outside the comfort of their own chambers. 

He reached up and looped his arms around Stannis' neck. "I'm certain I can walk. I didn't injure myself and won't run the risk of doing so on the ground."

"I know," Stannis said, but he did not move to put Davos down. He pointed himself right at the gangplank and did not even wait for the clerk. 

"My lord?" he asked, running to catch up to give Davos back his cloak. 

"I believe you have your information. We are done here." 

Stannis picked his way carefully down the gangplank and crossed the docks, heedless of anyone's stares. Davos merely allowed himself to be carried. He could not raise any objections, since he rather liked it. Stannis' arms were strong and had a firm hold on him and he liked being pressed to the warmth of his chest, even if his position was somewhat awkward. 

"Put me down, Stannis. I can at least get into the carriage myself."

Stannis made a reluctant noise and set Davos on his feet. He climbed into the carriage under his own power and dropped gratefully into his seat.

They spoke little on the way back to the castle, and Stannis did not do anything ridiculous like insist on carrying him back to their apartments, though he did shout at a servant for a hot bath, prompting Davos to insist upon an apology when the girl brought the water.

"I just worry," Stannis said helplessly as Davos sank into the bath. 

"I do appreciate it." Davos smiled up at him. What he especially appreciated was Stannis remaining while he bathed. "Wash my back? I can't quite reach." 

It was a put-on and they both knew it; Davos very well could have washed his own back, but he knew Stannis wanted to do something other than just stand there, but he would never have moved without being invited to. 

"Very well." Stannis knelt and reached for the soap. Davos sighed as the warm cloth hit his back. Stannis moved in small circles and Davos closed his eyes in pleasure. His back had locked up from the long day on his feet and Stannis' hands massaged deeply, removing every knot, seeming to have dropped the pretext of helping him wash. 

Davos opened his eyes, brushing damp strands of hair out of his eyes. Stannis knelt behind him, his jerkin off and the sleeves of his tunic rolled up. He was just as bent on this task as any other, his brow set in concentration. 

"Do you feel any better?" 

Davos thought about implying things would be better if Stannis joined him, but the tub was barely able to fit the both of them when Davos was not pregnant. Perhaps one day they would get to return to bathing together. 

"Thank you, Stannis," he said sleepily. 

"It is the least I can do. You are carrying my heir." He paused. "And how is the child?"

"The same. But I think it will be some days yet."

Stannis' hands paused on his back. "Days. I do not feel ready." 

"We will be. They don't require much in the early days." He turned in the tub. "You will be a wonderful father." He ran his fingers through Stannis' hair, not even caring if he got him wet. 

"I… will try." Stannis hesitated before kissing him. Davos moved his hand to Stannis' jaw, drawing him in closer. "Mmm… you've got your clothes wet," he murmured when they broke apart.

"No matter," Stannis said, rising and offering Davos his hand. "I will soon be out of them, I should imagine." 

Davos smiled and accepted the towel from him. "In that case, perhaps I won't bother with putting anything on."

Stannis said nothing, but Davos surmised from his expression that it was a wise choice.


End file.
